Paintings and Prints by Melissa West
Scotts Valley Branch Library, March 29- July 26, 2025
Melissa West’s paintings and prints often focus on myths and legends, with an eye towards how these fundamental stories relate to current issues of social and environmental justice. West has a printmaking studio in her home in Watsonville, as well as a painting studio in Aptos. She is a regular participant in Santa Cruz County Open Studios and has displayed her work throughout the country and abroad. She is a member of the California Society of Printmakers and WEAD, Women Eco Artist Dialog
For the Love of Nature - Watercolorist Linda Lord
Aptos Branch Library, April 1- June 30, 2025
Linda Lord grew up in a small mill town in Georgia, where “art” was a luxury few could afford. Teaching herself to draw even before she was old enough to go to school, she created art using “a pencil and any scraps of paper I could find.”
“Public libraries have always held a special place in my heart,” she recalls. When she started attending school, she found that a public library was on her route and became a frequent visitor. The librarian noticed her interest in nature, and when it came time to take an old, richly colorful book of birds out of circulation, she gave it to Linda to take home.
By the early 1980s Linda, now a single mother, had moved to Santa Cruz. Still drawing for her own enjoyment, she didn’t consider herself an “artist” until she was given watercolor materials in 1984. Self-taught, she fell in love with the medium. Friends were impressed and encouraged her to sell her work. Soon Linda was an active member of Santa Cruz’s art community, exhibiting her paintings at Open Studios and joining the Santa Cruz Watercolor Society. The Santa Cruz Art League asked her to teach, and she developed a reputation for being feisty, folksy, and fun.
“I don’t want my students to paint like me. I want them to discover their own style, their own voice,” she says. In class, her enthusiasm and individualized mentorship encourages her students to stretch themselves. Her six-week watercolor classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons fill up quickly, with many students returning repeatedly.
View Linda's work online at https://santacruzwatercolorsociety.com/linda-lord/
Artists of the San Lorenzo Valley Art Tour
Felton Branch Library, April 4- May 30, 2025
San Lorenzo Valley artists participating in the Valley Art Tour will have pieces in many mediums displayed in the library in April and May. Come see samples of the work of 27 talented artists and plan to visit some of their studios during the tour on May 17th and 18th, 11am to 5 pm. These talented artists pieces will be displayed at the Felton Branch Library in April and May.
